Category: Boatbuilding methods

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Hull-Deck Joint Gelcoat Repair

Gelcoat repair after filling
After filling the damaged areas with epoxy, the next step is gelcoat.

In my last post I discussed the importance of the hull-deck joint and how I repaired it on the Key West 1900 center console currently in my shop.  Now that the structural repair has been accomplished, let’s talk about cosmetics.  After all, we want the boat to look pretty again. Our goal is not just good-as-new structurally, but cosmetically as well!

You can see how much excavation was required to get down to solid material.

As you can see, quite a bit of excavation and filling was required to get rid of all the stressed and cracked fiberglass.  Now we have to cover that in gelcoat, the same material that was used in manufacturing the boat originally.  The trick is to get a good color match.  After 20 years, even if we had a batch of gelcoat from the original manufacturing run, it wouldn’t match the color of the boat now due to the fading effects of the intense sun here in South Carolina.  So you have to blend your own color.

A plywood dam recreates a smooth sheer line for the gelcoat.

Having done that, I just layered on coat after coat until it was a little bit proud of the surrounding area, knowing that I would have to sand it smooth.  In this case, it was worth it to construct a plywood dam that recreated the curve I wanted in order to define the sheer line (the line of the deck you see as you look at it from the side).  With the dam in place, I could load it up with gelcoat and scrape it off even with the top of the dam.

Cured gelcoat after removing the dam, ready for shaping and final polishing.

Next comes the process of sculpting the gelcoat to the final shape.  You have to take your time, being careful not to sand off too much.  Of course if you do, you can always add another layer. But you have to wait a day for it to cure.  Finally, polishing to a nice shine, and a coat of wax completes the repair.  Good as new in all respects!

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Hull-Deck Joint Repair

An 8 foot section of the hull-deck joint had failed underneath the rub rail.

The 1999 Key West 1900 Sportsman center console boat that we’ve been hired to re-power needs some other TLC.  If you’ve been following along, you know we checked the hull for water penetration and de-watered it in a previous post.

Hull-deck joint separation
This view from underneath shows how the joint has separated. I used shims to hold the joint apart so I could inject adhesive into it.

In my evaluation, I noticed that the hull-deck joint had separated for about 8 feet on the port side.  This is a key structural element of any boat, and an issue that needs to be fixed.  Key West uses a “shoe box” type of joint where the deck piece has a 1-1/2 inch flange that fits down over the top edge of the hull topsides.  The joint is hidden by the rub rail, and is screwed and glued with 3M 5200, a very tenacious adhesive.  Just imagine how much stronger a shoe box is if you glue the lid on.  If you try to push in the side of the box, under the flange, it caves in pretty easily until you glue it to the top.  Then it becomes a rigid, monocoque structure. Continue reading “Hull-Deck Joint Repair”

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Swan Point 19 Sole Repair

Screw holes were sealed to prevent the problem from recurring.
3/4 plywood and glass patch for a soft spot in the sole
New patch of 3/4 marine plywood and glass is the right fix for a soft spot in the sole of a Swan Point 19 center console.

It’s not uncommon for a boat to develop soft spots in the sole  around the console.  Any unsealed penetration, like a console hold-down screw hole, will allow water intrusion.  This boat has a fiberglass-over-plywood sole.  So once the water gets to the plywood, it will eventually rot. Continue reading “Swan Point 19 Sole Repair”

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Laminating the Stem

Laminating the stem of the Palm Beach 22 to a very tight curve requires many layers.
You can never have too many clamps!  Laminating the stem of the Palm Beach 22.  Notice the plastic sheet over the lofting board to keep glue from dropping on it.

In my last post I said I would tell you more about making the hatch in the waterproof bulkhead, and finishing it.  Well, I’m still waiting for some of the hardware, so it’s time to move on and we’ll come back to the hatch later.

Time to build the Stem of the boat!  I decided to laminate this stem because it’s easier and stronger than the traditional method of sawing it out of solid lumber pieces and bolting them together.  Laminating is just gluing together multiple layers to produce a larger piece.  It’s also used as an alternative to steam bending wood.  We’re going to do a lot of laminating on this boat.  So let’s get started.

Continue reading “Laminating the Stem”

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Building a Hatch Opening

Framed hatch and opening, almost ready to be installed.

The water-tight bulkhead forward of the engine compartment needs a hatch opening so you can access the area forward of frame 3.  We have to cut an opening and frame it and the hatch.  We’ll have to design the frame for both pieces, determine proper placement of the hinges and opening hardware, and make it waterproof. Continue reading “Building a Hatch Opening”

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Xantrex Freedom 20 Repair

Charred input connection for Xantrex Freedom 20 inverter-charger

I recently got a call to diagnose and repair a Xantrex Freedom 20 inverter-charger.  An inverter-charger is a dual purpose machine that can either charge your batteries using shore power, or create AC power from your batteries while you’re away from shore power.  What’s more, it can share your shore power feed between whatever you want to use it for on the boat and the battery charger, giving some power to each.  So you can charge your batteries and enjoy using your air conditioner while making margaritas with your blender! Continue reading “Xantrex Freedom 20 Repair”

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Assembling the Transom Frame

Aft view
Assembled transom frame viewed from aft.

We’ve been talking about making all the pieces for the transom of our Palm Beach 22.  If you missed that part of the discussion, you can check it out at making the Transom Cheeks and Making the Transom Bows.  Now it’s time to put these parts together into a unified whole.  We need some guideposts, something to tell us how this piece should look when we’ve put it together successfully. Continue reading “Assembling the Transom Frame”

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Making the Transom Bows

Shaving to the line
Shaving the upper transom bow to the line of the deck camber.

The transom bows are the curved top and bottom pieces that give you the shape of that beautiful transom you see on classic runabouts.  Nelson Zimmer’s plan calls for a 5 foot radius curve.  He also calls for a deck crown or “camber” of 2-1/2 inches at the transom.

So we’ve got two pieces to make, bent to a 5 foot radius.  And the top one has to have a curve cut on top of it to support the crown of the deck as well. Continue reading “Making the Transom Bows”

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Cutting the Transom Cheeks on the Palm Beach 22

Palm Beach 22 transom cheek
The profile view of the transom cheek.

It seems like forever since I talked about working on the Palm Beach 22 in this space.  Intervening boat repairs do have a way of taking up time here at the boatworks!  Anyway, when we left off I was talking about the plan for framing the transom.  I had made up 2 blanks with the curve of the transom cheeks.  You can read about it here.

Transom cheek blank
I checked the curve of the blanks to the lofting board. If you look closely you can see the line for station 10 hugging the piece, just inside the line for station 9.

You can see the blank laminated to the curve here.  Now it’s time to cut the compound curve out of this blank.  Remember this piece not only curves inboard, it also curves aft when you look at it from the side.  Take a look at Zimmer’s drawing again.  It’s at the top of this post. Continue reading “Cutting the Transom Cheeks on the Palm Beach 22”

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Add A Windlass to a SeaRay Sundancer–part 2

Windlass for SeaRay Sundancer
The finished “bowsprit” with windlass, anchor and anchor roller.

In my last post I talked about the plan for adding a windlass to a medium sized powerboat, a 2008 SeaRay 240 Sundancer.  If you missed it, you can read more about it here.  When we left off, I was fabricating a platform to fit where the lid for the anchor locker is.  There’s a recessed gutter around the opening that’s ideal for a trapezoidal frame that supports the platform. Continue reading “Add A Windlass to a SeaRay Sundancer–part 2”